Ionis Pharmaceuticals has earned $28 million from AstraZeneca following AstraZeneca's completion of IND-supporting studies and license of IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx, or AZD4785. IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx is a Generation 2.5 antisense drug discovered by Ionis designed to directly target KRAS, one of the most frequently mutated genes in cancer. KRAS mutations are thought to underlie the pathogenesis of up to 30% of human tumors. The KRAS protein is involved in regulating cell division and tumor cell survival. However, developing therapeutics using traditional drug modalities to block KRAS activity has proven difficult. IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx will be the first drug to enter clinical development that directly targets KRAS, regardless of mutation type. AstraZeneca will be responsible for further developing and commercializing IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx.
Brett Monia, Ph.D., senior vice president of drug discovery at Ionis, said: "We and AstraZeneca are uniquely positioned to advance the first antisense drug in development to target KRAS as this is a very challenging target to engage with other therapeutic modalities. Our partner AstraZeneca has extensive experience in successfully developing and commercializing drugs to treat cancer and we look forward to working with them to advance this innovative cancer treatment through clinical development."
As IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx advances in development, Ionis is eligible to receive up to $137 million for additional development and regulatory milestone payments. In addition, Ionis is eligible to receive up to low double-digit royalties from sales of the drug.